In a regional push to combat illicit arms trafficking and strengthen firearm security, six Eastern Caribbean nations participated in a Armoury Management Course held from July 8 to 18, 2025, in St. George’s, Grenada.
The training was delivered by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) in collaboration with the Government of the Grenada and with financial support from the United States of America’s Department of State – Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
Sixteen (16) participants, including two (2) women, from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines took part in the intensive program, which was hosted at Camp Saline in the southern part of the island.
The Armoury Management Course formed part of a broader U.S., funded initiative “Combating Illicit Firearms and Ammunition Trafficking in the Caribbean – Phase II.” The aim of the course was to supplement the manufacturer-based training received by Armourers and equip them with the knowledge, skills and abilities for small arms ammunition control and management; as well as general stockpile management training designed to prevent loss, theft and diversion of small arms and ammunition.
This training aligns with the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms, the Arms Trade Treaty and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also contributes to the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, particularly Goal 4, which seeks to minimize the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from government- and non-government-owned arsenals and specifically Target 4.1, which calls for secure firearms and ammunition storage facilities and management practices in accordance with international guidelines, including the Modular Small-Arms-Control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) , and UN SaferGuard’s (IATG).